Page 49 of Haunted By the Storm
"I do," I admit, the truth of it settling deep in my chest. "I didn't expect to. God knows I tried to fight it. But he sees me, Blaze. Really sees me. Not as a victim, not as a single mom, but as me. And the way he is with Emily..." I trail off, thinking of them making pancakes together this morning. "He's good with her. Good for her."
My brother sighs, the tension gradually easing from his shoulders. "I just want you to be happy, Cam. Both of you. After everything you've been through, you deserve that."
"Storm makes me happy," I say simply. "As crazy and unexpected as that is, it's the truth."
Blaze nods slowly, accepting this even if he doesn't fully understand it. "Okay. Then I'm happy for you. Just... be careful, alright? Keep your eyes open. Storm's a good man, I believe that, but the life he leads, the life I'm choosing too, it's complicated."
"When has my life ever been simple?" I ask with a small smile. "But I appreciate the concern. Really."
He returns the smile, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand. "That's what brothers are for.”
We chat for a while longer, Blaze filling me in on his progress as a prospect and his hopes for becoming a full patch member soon. It's strange to hear him talk about the club with such passion, this world that was so foreign to me just weeks ago now a central part of both our lives.
After he leaves, I sit alone at the kitchen table, turning our conversation over in my mind. Blaze's concerns aren't unfounded. Being with Storm does come with risks, complications, and a lifestyle I never imagined for myself or Emily.
But the alternative, walking away, returning to our safe, predictable life without him, feels increasingly impossible to contemplate. Somehow, in the midst of all this chaos and danger, Storm has become important to us. To me.
The question now is whether that importance outweighs the risks; whether what we're building together is worth the price of admission to his world.
I'm still pondering this when another knock comes at the door. This time, I check the peephole first, a new habit born of recent events, and see Octavia waiting in the hallway, Emily at her side.
"Hey," I greet them, opening the door. "Movie over already?"
"Ruby and Sera got into an argument about whose turn it was to pick the next one," Tavia explains with a roll of her eyes. "Emily decided she'd rather come back up here than listen to them bicker."
"It was really loud," Emily confirms solemnly. "And they weren't even watching the movie anymore, just fighting."
"Well, thank you for bringing her back," I tell Tavia with a smile. "Would you like to come in for some coffee?"
"Actually, that's why I'm here," she says, an unusual hesitancy in her voice. "I was hoping we could talk."
Something in her tone alerts me that this isn't a casual visit. "Of course," I say, stepping back to let her in. "Emily, why don't you go read in your room for a bit? The grown-ups need to chat."
Emily, sensing the seriousness in the air, nods and heads to her bedroom without argument, closing the door behind her.
"Let me guess," I say once we're alone, moving to the kitchen to start the coffee. "You're here to talk about Storm and me."
Tavia's eyebrows rise in surprise. "How did you know?"
"Blaze was just here, sharing his brotherly concerns about the same topic," I explain, setting mugs on the counter. "It seems my love life is the hot topic at the clubhouse today."
"Not just your love life," Tavia says, taking a seat at the table. "Storm's too. I've known him for years, and I've never seen him like this with anyone. It's got everyone talking."
"Great," I sigh, joining her at the table while the coffee brews. "Just what I need: an audience for my complicated relationship."
"Welcome to life in an MC," she says with a wry smile. "Privacy is a luxury, especially when it comes to relationships. We all live in each other's pockets here."
"So I'm gathering," I say, feeling a twinge of discomfort at the thought of my personal life being clubhouse gossip. "Is that what you wanted to talk about? The lack of privacy?"
She shakes her head. "Actually, I wanted to check on you; make sure you're doing okay with everything. Storm's a lot to handle under the best of circumstances, and these are hardly those."
"I'm okay," I assure her, grateful for her concern. "It's all happened very fast, and it's not what I expected, but... I'm okay."
"And Emily?" she asks, glancing toward the closed bedroom door. "How's she handling it?"
"Better than I could have hoped," I admit. "She adores Storm. This morning, she found him in my bed and her only reaction was to ask for pancakes."
Octavia laughs, a bright, genuine sound. "That sounds like Emily. Kids are adaptable, much more so than we give them credit for."
